Proposed pay raise bumps Erie town administrator 33% in 5 years

Current request is for 6.25 percent, bringing Krieger to $170,000

Erie's Board of Trustees will vote to grant town administrator A.J. Krieger's a 6.25 percent raise Tuesday, a decision that would bring his annual salary to $170,000.

Krieger, who served as city manager for Sheridan and Northglenn prior to his Erie hiring in 2011, began with an annual salary of $127,500. If the raise is approved it would represent a roughly 33 percent increase in salary over his five-year tenure.

"Based on the many performance criteria that we reviewed," Trustee Waylon Schutt wrote in a Facebook post Monday, "the process led us to the conclusion that (Krieger's) performance over the last year, and the expectations we have for his performance in the coming year, warrant the $10,000 raise we are proposing for his contract renewal."

News of the upcoming decision, however, has garnered mixed-emotions from residents, many of whom took to social media and reached out to officials Monday to decry the process's handling.

The annual review process for city managers in area cities is held during a closed-door meetings among staff. Though a common process, some have voiced concerns in the past with such an opaque evaluation procedure edifying important town decisions. The sentiment is buoyed by the town's decision to vote on the measure along with a bundle of others known as a "consent agenda." Public comment is not allowed on consent agenda items.

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"Throughout my tenure in Erie, I have participated in annual evaluations (a total of 6), and this year was no different," Krieger wrote in an email Monday. "While the approach and methodology has varied from Board to Board, evaluations have always included candid conversations about the overall performance of the Town, 360 degree evaluations of my performance as a manager, and discussions about ways to ensure the Town's continued prosperity."

Despite the outcry from a sampling of residents, Krieger's proposed salary increase would not separate his salary significantly from other east Boulder County city managers. If approved Tuesday, Krieger's amended salary would be similar to Louisville's Malcolm Fleming, who after a 3 percent pay bump last month brought his annual salary to $175,784.

For comparison, Boulder City Manager Jane Brautigam received a 6 percent raise in 2014, an increase that brought her annual salary to $216,976.

For residents such as Aaron Levey however, salaries comparable to Boulder are irresponsible on what he says is shaky financial ground.

"How can the trustees continue to hand out huge raises with the current financial state Erie is facing," Levey asked Monday. "Rates and fees are being increased just to cover costs and debt. Makes me wonder what other staff is getting large raises too."

Despite Levey's concern, Krieger maintains that the town continues to be financially fit.

"I'm proud that in the view of respected groups like Moody's, Standard & Poors, Money Magazine," Krieger said, "and perhaps most importantly, our own citizens as expressed through multiple Town surveys, the Town is thriving."

Krieger was one of four finalists for the city manager position in 2011, which had been filled on an interim basis after former Town Administrator Mike Acimovic resigned earlier that year.

Advocating at the time of his hiring, Krieger's supporters said he was a brilliant manager who was well-versed in economic development and aggressive in cutting the best deal for a municipality. His detractors described him as strong-willed to a fault, with a tendency to do things his way regardless of the will of the elected leaders he works for.

Earlier in his career, Krieger served as city manager in Ferguson, Mo., for three years. He was suspended from his post by the City Council in 2004 before being reinstated just days later after residents in the town of 22,000 rallied on his behalf.

Four years later, Krieger was asked to leave his post as city manager in Northglenn after serving there for 16 months. He resigned in May 2008 and then was city manager of Sheridan and Northglenn.

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